The Johnston Collection is one of Melbourne’s secret places. It’s a treasure trove of fine and decorative art, furniture and objects housed within Fairhall, the former East Melbourne residence of the antiques’ collector. Every so often the W R Johnston Trust invites a contemporary creative into their ‘House of Ideas’, …

If the hair and beauty looks from Runway 3 at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week don’t provoke your latent wanderlust, you may not posses an adventurous spirit at all. Mecca Cosmetica‘s lead make-up artist Kenneth Higgins explained “the look for tonight is inspired by the whole show, musicians and a world …

British horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll proclaimed “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne recently taught us that we don’t need Chanel-style couture carousels or smoke and mirrors of any kind as …

“I have released collections every season for 165 years. My runway is 38 hectares wide. My pieces have been forged by the world’s most prolific designer. The House of Mother Nature.” – if only The Royal Botanic Gardens could speak The phrase ‘gilding the lily’ has never been more apt. …

Skeleton onesies, red druids and plastic fantastic parkas; the expressions of fashion from Whitehouse Institute of Design‘s 2013 Melbourne graduates were certainly unpredictable! Though a handful of these budding designers have already had catwalk experience during the student runway at MSFW a few months ago, this was the first time …

Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. VAMFF. Get used to rolling that name off your tongue as the beloved fashion event has a new co-pilot in the airline (I promise that will be my last aviation-related nod to the partnership). “VAMFF” does have a certain ring to it though. At VAMFF’s …

Recently scientists regrew an extinct plant called Silene stenophylla. The seed of this delicate white flower had been buried in Siberia for over 30,00o years during the Ice Age. I thought that was a lovely story. And it reminds me of Adrian Bressanutti‘s debut collection ‘The Winter Blossom’ which holds just-as-romantic notions aloft. …

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week‘s Designer Runway 3 was a case of extremes. On one hand we have Akira’s gently fluid shapes and prints and Yeojin Bae with restrained details (in a victorious return for her mainline collection; who knew neoprene could look so delicate?) This is balanced with the bold, as …